The Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program has, since its inception in 2001, proven to be popular among Senators and Parliamentary Members from both sides of Government who have been eager to gain a better appreciation for the work of the young men and women within our Defence Forces.

For Parliamentary participants the program offers unique and often intimate first hand experiences of the challenges of service life as well as a broader understanding of the capabilities of the Australian Defence Force and the application of ‘military power’ in the pursuit of strategic Government policy.   The Program of options across the three Services that will be available in 2008 covers a broad spectrum of military activities from the training and support areas through to front line operations.  Irrespective of which activity you ultimately elect to undertake, you will embark upon a wonderful personal journey that has prompted many of your Parliamentary peers to return time and again to enjoy the diverse range of experiences available within the broader Defence community.   In confirmation of this I commend to you the testimonials of former participants within the 2008 Brochure.

In recognition of the Parliamentary calendar most of the Program options are constrained to durations of no more than five days, although several overseas or operations related activities will require a commitment of up to 10 days and some are scheduled on specific dates.   The Australian Defence Force has worked hard to ensure that the 2008 program offers sufficient diversity to meet the broad range of interests that characterize the elected officials within the Senate and Parliament.

The other dimension of the Parliamentary Program that has gained particular prominence and momentum in recent years is the attachment of Australian Defence Force personnel to Parliamentarians during a sitting week in order that our future Defence leaders have a greater understanding of the environment in which our elected officials operate.   The mutual understanding achieved through this aspect of the Program cannot be overstated and, as ever, the Program stands in debt to those Parliamentarians who elect to sponsor Defence participants in Parliament House for this important week.

I am both honoured and delighted to be responsible for the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program.  I applaud the bi-partisanship displayed by all Parliamentarians who have previously participated and wholeheartedly endorse a continuance of this approach in 2008.  

I commend to you the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program for 2008.

The Hon. Dr Mike Kelly, AM,  MP
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence